US teachers’ union say all teachers should be vaccinated [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said that all educators should be mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
• National Education Association President Becky Pringle said that vaccine requirements should be addressed at the local level.
• New infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations have recently increased due to the delta variant.

Amid the wave of COVID-19 cases among children, the head of the US’ second-biggest teachers’ union announced on Sunday that all teachers should be mandated to get the vaccine shots to protect unvaccinated young students.

Speaking with NBC News, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said that the “circumstances have changed,” stressing that “it weighs really heavily on me that kids under 12 can’t get vaccinated.”

“I felt the need… to stand up and say this as a matter of personal conscience,” she added.

Last week, Weingarten noted that nearly 90 percent of teachers and school personnel have already been vaccinated, as also reported by the White House.

COVID-19 hospitalizations among children are steadily climbing nationwide. Per health experts, the rise in cases was brought about by the rapid spread of the Delta variant which was more infectious to children compared to the original Alpha variant.

Last week, Becky Pringle, president of the largest teachers’ union National Education Association, told the New York Times that vaccine mandates should be discussed at the local level.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, children should be surrounded by vaccinated and masked people in schools and in other places until they can become eligible to get the shots.

“You surround them with those who can be vaccinated, whoever they are — teachers, personnel in the schools, anyone – get them vaccinated,” he told NBC while noting that pediatric hospitals are being increasingly occupied by children who are COVID-19 patients. “Protect the kids with a shield of vaccinated people.”

Several US companies and state governments have begun requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. While experts noted that it was legal, such move could yield labor disputes in workplaces which had unions.

Meanwhile, in New York, California and Virginia, state workers have been mandated to get the shots. In New Jersey, health care workers are being compelled to get inoculated as well.

Based on the tracking of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the southern part of the US continues to drive the new wave of cases. In particular, Florida has recorded almost 24,000 new infections on Saturday alone. Over the past week, the COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state set daily records.

Even with the resurgence of cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL.) had refused to enforce mask mandates and hindered schools from implementing such policy.

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb criticized the move, arguing that it would be reckless for students to go back to schools without masks.

For the past two days, the US has recorded over 100,000 new COVID-19 infections with about 400 fatalities, based on Reuters’ tracking. Since February, COVID-19 hospitalizations have been at their highest.

Source: MSN.com